126-524: Chedwyn Michael Evans (born 28 December 1988) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Preston North End . Born in Rhyl , Evans was signed by Manchester City from Chester City 's youth set up in 2002 and he subsequently progressed through the ranks. Evans was loaned to Norwich City in 2007, where he scored 10 goals in 28 league appearances, before returning to his parent club. With first team opportunities at City limited he
252-628: A stele of c. 375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what
378-462: A 1–1 away draw with Oxford United , on 6 August 2016. In his home debut for Chesterfield, on 13 August 2016 against Swindon Town , Evans produced a match-winning performance, scoring Chesterfield's third goal and having a hand in the other two from Gary Liddle and Jay O'Shea as they won 3–1. On 8 May 2017, Evans was signed by Championship side Sheffield United, his former club, having had several talks with Chris Wilder . On his first match back at
504-493: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football
630-443: A back heel) in a 1–0 away friendly victory against Iceland . He made 13 appearances for Wales in total, scoring once. Evans was born in Rhyl , Clwyd . After signing for Sheffield United, Evans moved to Millhouse Green , Penistone , in the nearby Barnsley area. After the death of former Wales boss and Sheffield United player, coach and manager Gary Speed , Evans revealed a message under his shirt after scoring his first goal in
756-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while
882-574: A competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on
1008-505: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of
1134-563: A deal until 1 January 2008. He made his debut for Norwich the following week when he came on as a substitute in the 3–1 victory over Blackpool . His first goal for the club came two games later, and just two minutes into his first start in a 2–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle at the start of December. Evans returned to Manchester City after his initial loan deal expired in January 2008, having made eight appearances and scored two goals. Initially, Norwich manager Glenn Roeder 's attempts to extend
1260-543: A draw to qualify for the play-offs but lost 1–0 away to Italy . The under-21 team came into existence following the realignment of UEFA 's youth competitions in 1976. A goalless draw in a friendly against England at Wolverhampton Wanderers' Molineux Stadium was Wales U21s' first result. The national under-21 team is the highest level of youth football in Wales, and is open to any players who were born in Wales or whose parents or grandparents were born in Wales. This team
1386-505: A few hours and over 30,000 by the next day, while politicians such as Labour Party leader Ed Miliband voiced their opposition to the move. On 8 January, Oldham Athletic ended their interest in signing Evans, citing that proceeding could have resulted in "significant financial pressure" and would have "continued to be a divisive influence", while condemning the "vile and abusive threats, some including death threats, which have been made to our fans, sponsors and staff". BBC Sport reported that
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#17327802150891512-661: A friendly against England U21s to mark the 100th match in the history of the side, losing 2–0. A 3–0 victory against Romania in September 2008 meant that the Under-21 side finished top of their qualifying group for the first time in their history. It meant Wales would go into a two-legged play-off against England in October 2008 for a place in the finals of the 2009 UEFA Under-21 Championship to be played in Sweden . Wales lost
1638-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during
1764-473: A hat-trick against France U21s . In doing so he became only the fourth player to have scored a hat-trick for the under-21 side, along with John Hartson , Craig Davies and Lee Jones . Evans scored a brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina U21s in October 2009, taking his tally for the Welsh U21s to 13 goals in 12 games. Evans made his senior debut for Wales on 28 May 2008, scoring the winning goal (with
1890-445: A high-profile job after revealing no remorse for a crime that would preclude re-employment for many", while criticising Evans for making "his statement of contrition ... on the offensive, legally questionable website that continues to make life miserable for his victim". On 8 January 2015, it was announced by Grimsby Town director John Fenty that a financial backer had offered the club to pay Evans' full wages in order to bring him to
2016-640: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with
2142-529: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to
2268-470: A named relative of a staff member was threatened with rape, and that one sponsor already having ended their association with Oldham in protest and another saying that it would follow suit if Evans signed. The petition against Evans signing had reached over 60,000 signatures. Meanwhile, a total of ten other clubs (other than Oldham and Sheffield United) from League One and League Two told BBC Sport that they would not sign Evans. Evans stated that he withdrew from
2394-625: A new legal team to attempt to clear his name. After serving half of his prison sentence, Evans was eligible for release, and was released on licence on 17 October 2014. Following his release, the Criminal Cases Review Commission announced that they were reviewing his conviction. In January 2015, it was reported that Evans had submitted fresh evidence to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, to attempt to strengthen his case. In October 2015,
2520-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee
2646-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided
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#17327802150892772-480: A second-half hat trick within 15 minutes against Chesterfield giving him his thirtieth goal of the season in a 4–1 win for Sheffield United at Bramall Lane . During this impressive third season, Evans drew attention from Championship and Premier League clubs with his contract scheduled to expire in the summer. However, Blades manager Danny Wilson stated that Evans "[wasn't] even thinking about leaving Bramall Lane", adding "Of course we don't want to lose Ched." Evans
2898-462: A serious medical condition. The condition came as a result of repeated high-force contact, requiring surgery to address his current symptoms and to prevent any future damage. He returned to action six months later, starting for Preston in their match against Millwall in October 2023. Evans gained his first Wales U21 cap in 2007. He became a regular member of the squad and in November 2007 he scored
3024-498: A short-term loan. He scored his first goal for Preston in a 2–1 loss to Rotherham United on 6 February 2021. On 6 February, he signed a permanent contract with the club. On 12 April 2021, Evans extended his contract with the club until the summer of 2023, another two years on top of the original deal signed in February. On 5 April 2023, the club confirmed that Evans would be unavailable for an extended period of time after developing
3150-576: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on
3276-602: A three-year deal in July 2009, making his debut for United in the first game of the new season; a 0–0 draw with Middlesbrough . Having bagged a brace for the Wales U21s during the midweek fixtures he then scored his first goal in Blades colours on his home debut, a 2–0 win over Watford . Despite a promising start Evans struggled to maintain any real form and was often relegated to the role of substitute during his first season with
3402-527: A total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting
3528-564: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at
3654-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear
3780-415: Is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch . The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for
3906-614: Is controlled by the Football Association of Wales . The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship , held every two years. To date Wales haven't yet qualified for the finals tournament but in recent years have shown good form, losing in a playoff (5–4) to England in the 2009 qualifying campaign and finishing second in their group two years later, after leading their group until their last game Wales only needed
Ched Evans - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-469: Is for Welsh players aged 21 or under at the start of a two-year European Under-21 Football Championship campaign, so players can be, and often are, up to 23 years old. Also in existence are teams for Under-20s (for non-UEFA tournaments), Under-19s and Under 17s. As long as they are eligible, players can play at any level, making it possible to play for the U21s, senior side and again for the U21s. Historically
4158-468: Is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with
4284-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by
4410-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during
4536-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area
4662-816: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in
4788-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least
4914-593: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as
5040-455: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of
5166-435: Is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and
Ched Evans - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which
5418-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by
5544-458: The 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship . Wales squad for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying match against Czech Republic and friendly match against Slovakia on 11 and 15 October 2024 respectively. Caps and goals as of 15 October 2024. Players in bold have attained full international caps. The following players have also been called up to the Wales under-21 squad and remain eligible . Players in bold have caps for
5670-527: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won
5796-506: The Conference Premier club. Having held a board meeting along with team manager Paul Hurst it was decided that the move would be of too high risk for the club. Grimsby had previously employed Clayton McDonald, the fellow footballer and friend of Evans who was acquitted in the same case, during the 2013–14 season. Individual Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer ,
5922-571: The FA Cup win over Torquay United , which read "Rest in peace Speedo". Evans was engaged for several years to Natasha Massey. It was reported that Evans married Massey in 2022. Massey's father, Karl, a businessman, funded a website, "Chedevans.com", which proclaimed Evans to be "wrongly convicted of rape on 20th April 2012". He also hired lawyers for an appeal . Speaking to ITV1 's This Morning in 2014, Natasha Massey said that when she found out Evans had been questioned over rape, her first instinct
6048-635: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded
6174-503: The Blades now in League One there was speculation that Evans would be sold to ease the club's wage bill but an injury picked up in the last days of the previous campaign meant he was unavailable until early September, preventing him from moving on to another club. Having returned from injury Evans hit a rich vein of form scoring regularly in both league and cup competitions as the Blades contested for promotion. On 28 March 2012 he scored
6300-404: The Blades, making 36 appearances but scoring only four goals. The following season Evans was a regular first team choice and his form and scoring rate began to improve, despite the club going through a season of turmoil and battling against relegation. He finished the campaign as top scorer with nine goals in all competitions, but was unable to prevent the team dropping out of the division. With
6426-505: The Criminal Cases Review Commission, following a 10-month investigation and relying on "new material which was not considered by the jury at trial", referred the case to the Court of Appeal . On 22 March 2016, the case was heard by the Court of Appeal. On 21 April 2016, the appeal was allowed, the conviction quashed and a retrial ordered. The Court of Appeal imposed a ban on reporting details of
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#17327802150896552-576: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has
6678-839: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of
6804-467: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by
6930-475: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are
7056-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether
7182-748: The Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of
7308-479: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with
7434-475: The Under 19's to manage the Under 21 team. In November 2021, Wales picked up their biggest ever win at under-21 level when they beat Gibraltar 7–0 in a qualifier for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship . In July 2022 Bodin's contract with Wales Under-21 was terminated by mutual consent. In September 2022, Matt Jones was appointed as manager. Players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible for
7560-543: The United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and
7686-452: The ball into the other team's goal (between the posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at
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#17327802150897812-460: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from
7938-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of
8064-534: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that
8190-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with
8316-750: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in
8442-604: The closure of Chester's youth team. During the 2006–07 season, Evans was a regular in the academy and reserve teams and was also in the side that reached the final of the 2006 FA Youth Cup , where City lost to Liverpool. In May 2007, Evans signed his first professional contract with Manchester City. In September 2007 Evans came off the bench to make his senior debut in City's 1–0 League Cup victory against Norwich City . With first choice opportunities at City limited, Evans moved on loan to Norwich City in November of that year, agreeing
8568-407: The club if he were signed. On 20 November, Sheffield United withdrew their offer to allow Evans to use their training facilities. Co-chairman Jim Phipps, however, attributed the decision to "mob-like behaviour", stating his belief that Evans had a right to return to his career having served his sentence. In December 2014, Hartlepool United manager Ronnie Moore said that he would like Evans to join
8694-450: The club were "nowhere near" signing Evans, citing his 30 months out of the professional game and an important run of fixtures as reasons why a decision would not be taken immediately. DBL Logistics, Sheffield United's sponsor on the back of their shirts, stated that they would end their sponsorship if Evans was signed by the club. John Holland Sales, who sponsor on the front of the shirts, declared that they would "re-evaluate" their relation to
8820-466: The club, he turned in a man-of-the-match performance as the Blades beat Walsall in the EFL Cup . In July 2018, having failed to score a single goal for the Blades since his return to Bramall Lane, Evans signed a season-long loan deal with League One club Fleetwood Town . He scored his first goal for Fleetwood on 11 August in a 2–0 away win against Oxford United. It was his first goal since 2016 when he
8946-422: The club. Athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill stated that she would want her name removed from a stand at Bramall Lane if Evans was signed by the club. The Football League stated that although they recognised the gravity of Evans' crime, they valued the reintegration of reformed criminals and could not take any action against any club which would hire Evans. Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough said on 12 November that
9072-532: The club. The comment brought criticism from Hartlepool 's MP , Iain Wright , who described Evans as a " pariah ". The club later followed up this headline with a statement saying that Hartlepool does not wish to sign Evans. On 2 January 2015, Hibernians of the Maltese Premier League , through their English vice-president Stephen Vaughan , announced that they had offered Evans a contract up to
9198-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at
9324-422: The deal due to "mob rule", and that he was concerned the building of Oldham's new stand would be adversely affected by his signing. He also apologised for any grievances he had caused due to his rape case, but maintained his innocence. Journalist Henry Winter , writing for The Daily Telegraph , rebutted Evans' claims, instead saying that "it was people's disgust that a convicted rapist felt he could swan back into
9450-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at
9576-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce
9702-473: The end of his contract and in July 2012 Geraint Williams was appointed team manager Williams resigned as team manager on 5 December 2016. On 15 March 2017 it was announced that former Port Vale and Northampton Town manager Rob Page had left his position on the coaching staff at Nottingham Forest to become Wales under-21 manager. In August 2019 Page was appointed assistant coach to the senior Wales squad under Ryan Giggs with Paul Bodin stepping up from
9828-405: The end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or a foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football
9954-467: The end of the season. The British Ministry of Justice said that such a move would not be possible as Evans was a convicted sex offender on licence and, as such, barred from working abroad. Malta's Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat , warned Hibernians that hiring Evans could affect the whole country's reputation, while Justice Minister Owen Bonnici stated that Evans had a right to return to his profession after being released from prison. On 4 January 2015, it
10080-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at
10206-528: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion
10332-531: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and
10458-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on
10584-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of
10710-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure
10836-687: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of
10962-707: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at
11088-615: The legal argument. The retrial began on 4 October 2016 and on 14 October Evans was found not guilty. After the retrial, it could then be reported that the legal argument used in the appeal had related to the complainant's sexual history. On 11 April 2019, Evans accepted an £800,000 settlement from the legal firm which represented him in his first trial. In April 2014, Sheffield United co-chairman Kevin McCabe and new manager Nigel Clough met with Evans in HM Prison Wymott to discuss
11214-557: The loan were refused, however, on 10 January, the two clubs agreed a deal to allow Evans to return to Norwich on loan until 26 February, with Manchester City able to recall him after an initial period. However, after talks between the two clubs at the end of January 2008, the deal was extended to allow Evans to stay with the Carrow Road club until the end of the season . Then Manchester City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson stated he had no plans to sell Evans and that he would not be leaving
11340-614: The men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and
11466-534: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,
11592-492: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. Wales national under-21 football team The Wales national under-21 football team , also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and
11718-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,
11844-470: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and
11970-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal
12096-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since
12222-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of
12348-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by
12474-480: The playoff 5–4 over the course of two legs. Losing 3–2 at home in the first leg and drawing 2–2 away in the second. Wales started their qualifying campaign for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship with a 1–0 away win against Andorra, a 3–1 away loss against Montenegro, a 1–0 home win against Montenegro, a 1–0 home defeat against Czech Republic and a 0–0 away draw against Armenia. In May 2012 Brian Flynn vacated his position as Wales under-21 manager at
12600-405: The possibility of Sheffield United re-signing Evans after his release from prison. Following speculation that Evans could rejoin his former club, a petition was signed by 150,000 people urging the club not to do so, which stated that it would be a "deep insult to the woman who was raped and to all women like her who have suffered at the hands of a rapist". In November 2014, following his release, it
12726-420: The pre-game warm-up. Evans scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester City against Portsmouth on 21 September, scoring the fifth goal as City went on to win 6–0. With City's acquisition of Craig Bellamy and later Emmanuel Adebayor , Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez , Evans opted to leave in 2009 in order to get more first team football. Evans joined Sheffield United for a fee of £3 million on
12852-521: The quashing of his conviction, signing for one year at Chesterfield in League One. He was signed by his former Sheffield United manager Wilson, and their first-team coach was his former Blades teammate Chris Morgan . He scored on his debut for Chesterfield on 23 July, his first game in nearly four years, in a 3–0 pre-season friendly win over Ilkeston . He also scored, with a free-kick from 25 yards (23 m), on his return to professional football, in
12978-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at
13104-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs
13230-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America
13356-544: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task
13482-554: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this
13608-446: The summer transfer window. Evans played regularly for Norwich for the remainder of his loan spell and by the end of the season he had notched up 10 goals from 20 starts and eight substitute appearances. Evans made his Premier League debut for Manchester City in the opening game of the following season on 18 August, against Aston Villa . He was not chosen for the starting eleven but replaced Valeri Bojinov , who suffered an injury during
13734-544: The team was viewed by the Welsh national management as a hole to be filled rather than a team to be used to nurture young international players. Many of the great Welsh players spent little time at the under-21 team level. Ryan Giggs only made one appearance for the under-21 team before making his senior debut against Germany the next day. From 2004 onward however, the former Wales national football team manager John Toshack and former Wales Under 21 manager Brian Flynn used
13860-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such
13986-538: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where
14112-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from
14238-613: The transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than
14364-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From
14490-726: The under-21 team to create a pool of youthful Welsh talent. The team now has a much better tracking system of young Welsh players, and has seen a marked improvement in players and team results. Recent results have seen them achieve big wins against Estonia (5–1), Northern Ireland (4–0) and France (4–2). Players who have made the step from the U21s to attain over 50 caps for the senior squad are Gary Speed , Simon Davies , Carl Robinson , Craig Bellamy , Robert Earnshaw , James Collins , John Hartson , Andy King , Joe Ledley , Sam Vokes , Wayne Hennessey , Chris Gunter , Gareth Bale , Aaron Ramsey , Joe Allen , Connor Roberts , Harry Wilson and Daniel James . On 15 May 2008, they played
14616-516: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified
14742-489: Was announced that Evans would resume training with Sheffield United after the Professional Footballers' Association had requested that Sheffield United let Evans train at the club as they were his last club before his conviction. The decision was controversial, and caused television presenter Charlie Webster , businesswoman Lindsay Graham and musicians Dave Berry and Paul Heaton to resign as patrons of
14868-468: Was convicted on 20 April 2012 and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. He was eligible for release on licence after serving half of that sentence. During this time, Evans worked as a painter and decorator in prison. In August 2012, he was refused leave to appeal against the conviction by a Court of Appeal of England and Wales judge and the full court upheld the decision in November. Evans continued to maintain his innocence and in November 2013 recruited
14994-533: Was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through the fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated
15120-419: Was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as a mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game
15246-504: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against
15372-732: Was named League One Player of the Month for March 2012, having scored 10 goals in 8 games. He was nominated for 'League One Player of the Season', and in April 2012 Evans was named in the League One PFA Team of the Year . He ended the season with 35 goals in all competitions, but following his rape conviction Evans was released by United at the end of the season. On 20 June 2016, Evans signed his first contract since his release from prison and
15498-475: Was playing for Chesterfield. Following his debut goal, Evans left the pitch to a standing ovation from Fleetwood fans. He was transfer-listed by Sheffield United at the end of the 2018–19 season, with Fleetwood signing him permanently on 6 August 2019 for an undisclosed fee. In December 2020, Fleetwood manager Joey Barton announced that Evans had left the club due to "disciplinary reasons". On 6 January 2021, Evans joined Championship side Preston North End on
15624-400: Was reported that Evans had been in discussion with League One club Oldham Athletic and was expected to sign for them in a deal which may be worth as little as £400 per week. The club's manager Lee Johnson was reported to have expressed "grave reservations" about the signing, but was overruled by the club's owner Simon Corney . A petition against the signing gathered 19,000 signatures within
15750-554: Was subsequently sold to Sheffield United for £3 million in 2009. After an unspectacular first two seasons at Bramall Lane he scored 35 goals during the 2011–12 season . He also represented Wales at Wales under-21 and senior level, scoring on his debut for the national side in 2008, and making a total of 13 appearances. Evans began his playing career in Rhyl , before spending two seasons in Chester City 's youth set-up from where he moved to Manchester City in 2002 following
15876-476: Was to be "protective" and to stand by him. She said: "My thoughts and feelings over the cheating were put to one side and I stepped in to help him through this terrible time." Evans and another footballer, Clayton McDonald , were tried at the Crown Court at Caernarfon after being indicted of the rape of a 19-year-old woman, who was alleged to be too drunk to consent, at a hotel near Rhyl in May 2011. Evans
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